Geography: National

Homelessness is rising nationwide, and recent policy proposals risk framing the issue through punitive measures rather than proven solutions. This resource provides evidence-based talking points to counter misconceptions, highlight effective strategies, and advocate for approaches that prioritize personal autonomy, fiscal responsibility, and long-term impact. Use these insights to promote community-based, voluntary support systems over costly, ineffective enforcement tactics.

A number of states are looking to both increase supportive housing capacity and quality. One component of improving quality could be developing more intensive supportive services. Many barriers exist to increasing supportive housing capacity for most communities, including a lack of a Medicaid Authority. Nearly 30 states already have in place some supportive housing services benefit, and CSH’s map can help you find where your state is in the process. This brief provides a detailed summary of state actions and lessons that could be replicated in your state.

Updated November 2025

This one-pager provides five proven state actions to reduce unsheltered homelessness. In response to recent executive orders, these practical, evidence-based strategies for responding to unsheltered homelessness deliver measurable results.

The growth of supportive housing over the last 30 years has been built on a foundation of research showing that it provides core benefits to people and communities. CSH compiled this list of selected literature on supportive housing from the last 20 years as a resource. Please review each source carefully to understand how to apply it to your work. Download a summary of outcomes in supportive housing including many of these listed sources by clicking here.

Supportive housing is a model of affordable housing that is designed specifically for people who need services to recover and thrive in their community. It serves people who are facing complex physical and behavioral health challenges while also experiencing homelessness, institutionalization, and/or housing instability. People in supportive housing pay 30% of their income toward rent and are accountable to a lease with all of the rights and responsibilities of tenancy.

In dozens of studies across the country over the last 20 years, supportive housing has proven to be an effective intervention that improves housing stability, reduces the use of expensive crisis care, and improves outcomes even for individuals with complex needs. This brief highlights key evidence for communities to consider as they work to meet the housing and support needs of all individuals and families.

As with the population of people experiencing homelessness, many people in supportive housing are dealing with substance use disorder. The stability that supportive housing provides supports many tenants in accessing substance use treatment and reducing or eliminating their use. This brief highlights key evidence related to supportive housing and substance use.

Supportive housing is a model of affordable housing that is designed specifically for people who need services to recover and thrive in their community. It serves people who are facing complex physical and behavioral health challenges while also experiencing homelessness, institutionalization, and/or housing instability. People in supportive housing pay 30% of their income toward rent and are accountable to a lease with all of the rights and responsibilities of tenancy.

In dozens of studies across the country over the last 20 years, supportive housing has proven to be an effective intervention that improves housing stability, reduces the use of expensive crisis care, and improves outcomes even for individuals with complex needs. This brief highlights key evidence for communities to consider as they work to meet the housing and support needs of all individuals and families.

Supportive housing combines affordable housing with supportive services to help people who face the most complex challenges live with stability, autonomy, and dignity. CSH created these standards to guide a wide range of groups—including tenant leaders, housing developers, landlords, service providers, funders, property managers, government officials, and health care organizations—to work together to build and operate high-quality supportive housing.

The Quality Standards apply to all types of projects, whether site-based or scattered-site, and in rural, suburban, or urban areas. How the standards are put into practice may vary due to the diversity of supportive housing models.

This resource breaks down the core components of supportive housing and explains how to align a project with the CSH Quality Standards when planning a new development. 

This guide outlines five essential outcomes every successful supportive housing program should target, drawn from the larger CSH Quality Supportive Housing Standards. The Quality Standards provides a roadmap for creating and operating supportive housing that will best
achieve meaningful results. CSH encourages organizations to know their baseline performance regarding these outcomes and set ambitious goals to drive ongoing progress.

The purpose of this Supportive Housing Property Management Plan (SHPMP) is to provide guidance to housing providers that operate housing programs that serve people who have experienced homelessness, are at-risk homelessness, or face barriers to housing, including people with extremely low-income, disabilities, poor rental or credit histories, and justice-involved histories. Property Managers who provide this type of housing should coordinate with supportive service providers to ensure their tenants can utilize services, both on-site and off-site, to maintain stable housing and meet these needs.

The SHPMP contains 19 sections, each with critical context, promising practice guidance, and key questions to consider when developing supportive housing programs and property management plans.